Liverpool were drawn on Thursday (August 29) to face champions Real Madrid when they return to the Champions League, which has been expanded to a 36-team league format.
The revamped competition has also set up other intriguing match ups, including a rematch of last year’s final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, while Manchester City are slated to battle Paris St Germain.
In this year’s men’s tournament, teams will compete in eight fixtures during the ‘league phase,’ marking a significant departure from the traditional group stage format.
The draw, held in Monaco, featured special guests Cristiano Ronaldo and Gianluigi Buffon.
All teams will compete in a single 36-team league, replacing the previous format of eight groups with four teams each.
In the new league phase, teams will play eight matches instead of facing three opponents twice. They will play against eight different teams, with half of the games at home and half away.
The top eight teams will advance directly to the Round of 16, while those finishing from ninth to 24th will enter a two-legged knockout play-off for a chance to secure a spot in the next stage.
Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated and will not advance to the Europa League.
